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Strangeville
Need a good laugh? Strangeville is a different kind of story that draws the reader in and keeps them wondering what will happen next. The story is a dark comedy about a suicidal young man named John Campbell who, after a failed suicide attempt, heads to Virginia to visit an aunt he hasn’t seen in ten years. But his rental car runs out of gas deep in the mountains. When he decides to walk in the middle of the night, he winds up in a town that is isolated from the rest of the world—Strangeville. Unable to leave, he meets an assortment of loveable oddball characters—the beautiful Delilah, Klemm Johnson, Clarissa Puddworthy, Biff Flannigan, Jeboriah Varmint, Cleetus McChoparooski, and others. So if you want a different kind of reading experience, and you’re tired of the same old cookie-cutter writing, check out Strangeville . Readers love it!
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 21, 2013
166 people are currently reading
1173 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Tingle
8 books31 followersAuthor of the local bestseller The Girl in the Italian Bakery. Now available on Kindle and Nook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
September 20, 2014
I read part 1 of this a while ago and now the completist in my demanded to see what happens. Well, thanks for nothing, completist in me, this was a total waste of my time. Part 1 was somewhat tolerable because it had a premise that might have been developed into something fun. The entire trilogy turned out to be a cheesy dud with a sappy moral laid on as thickly as molasses. Basic premise...a young suicidal man ends up stuck in not so much Strangeville as Hicksville, where the only alternative to the evils of the modern world is a way of life so backward, it actually moved back in time, about 60 years or so. The place certainly provides ample evidence for the small places breed small minds theory, but its folksy charm (which sounds like an oxymoron to me) and a local hottie apparently drawl (in what seems like a consistent brutal assault on english language) cast a sort of spell over him. The idea isn't particularly original, the execution is serviceable, but the ending just sinks it. The book is readable and, fortunately, quickly, but at best it insults the readers' intelligence and at worst wastes the readers' time. I'm not even sure what genre this would be. Caveat emptor.
March 17, 2013
One of M. Night Shyamalan's most intriguing movies is "The Village." The characters here have set up a society that seems to be in the nineteenth century. The movie reveals that this society was the brainchild of a group of people in a therapy group who had all had violence take someone away from them, and so they moved into a federal preserve and started farming and building their own furniture by hand. When medical care becomes necessary, the leaders send a blind girl to "the towns" to buy the medicines.
"Strangeville" is written along similar lines, although with a little less thought put into the plot line. The town still seems like it's the 1950's, and when tortured soul John Campbell ends up here, it's clear that the mayor knows that it's really the 21st century but is keeping the rest of town in the dark. He likes preserving the way of life, using a system of fear that seems to rely on two heavies, Bubba and Enos, and a general lack of intellectual ability in the rest of the town. He has brought in the doctor, the town mechanic, a master electrician, and a few others into his secret, and the town's coal mine is producing enough profits for the mayor to be able to subsidize costs and keep prices down to 1950's levels on everything from milk to restaurant meals.
It's not clear, though, why many others haven't found their way into the town. After all, John ran out of gas, walked through some woods, fell down a hill, and ended up there, and there is a road that the coal trucks have to use to get to the market. Just by accident, there should be more people in the town than there are.
The ending explains this to some degree, and while I won't spoil it for you, I will say that an ending needs to have some sort of clue pointing readers toward it. You don't have to write it in big letters on the wall, but people should have some sort of idea that it's coming. The way this was written, it seems like an idea that was pulled out of the air with 30 pages to go.
Also, the dialect of the characters in the small town is written in such a way as to make me want to take a needle and shove it in my ear -- and I couldn't even hear them.
The idea behind this book is a good one. There is promise that Mr. Tingle will be able to come up with similarly intriguing plot concepts in the future.
"Strangeville" is written along similar lines, although with a little less thought put into the plot line. The town still seems like it's the 1950's, and when tortured soul John Campbell ends up here, it's clear that the mayor knows that it's really the 21st century but is keeping the rest of town in the dark. He likes preserving the way of life, using a system of fear that seems to rely on two heavies, Bubba and Enos, and a general lack of intellectual ability in the rest of the town. He has brought in the doctor, the town mechanic, a master electrician, and a few others into his secret, and the town's coal mine is producing enough profits for the mayor to be able to subsidize costs and keep prices down to 1950's levels on everything from milk to restaurant meals.
It's not clear, though, why many others haven't found their way into the town. After all, John ran out of gas, walked through some woods, fell down a hill, and ended up there, and there is a road that the coal trucks have to use to get to the market. Just by accident, there should be more people in the town than there are.
The ending explains this to some degree, and while I won't spoil it for you, I will say that an ending needs to have some sort of clue pointing readers toward it. You don't have to write it in big letters on the wall, but people should have some sort of idea that it's coming. The way this was written, it seems like an idea that was pulled out of the air with 30 pages to go.
Also, the dialect of the characters in the small town is written in such a way as to make me want to take a needle and shove it in my ear -- and I couldn't even hear them.
The idea behind this book is a good one. There is promise that Mr. Tingle will be able to come up with similarly intriguing plot concepts in the future.
August 2, 2015
A young man takes a wrong turn and ends up in a very strange place.
This book is responsible for one of the worst nightmares I've ever had. Thanks Mr Tingle! But it could also have had something to do with my mixing Cider with Champagne and a late night pizza. But Strangeville was definitely in there and played it's part!
But Strangeville isn't a nightmare, I actually quite like it. It's got some mixed reviews and I can see where some of the negative vibes are coming from. Especially when it comes to the ending. It's not the worst ending I've come across but it was disappointing. It could have done without the Twilight Zone twist and also the Epilogue. I hate end of book 'wrap ups.' I don't want to be told what happens over the next few years in the last three pages. I like to imagine 'what happens next' myself. It's part of the fun of reading a book. And end of book 'wrap ups' can sometimes rob the reader of that privilege.
Yes. You can tell this book is self published. You can tell it's not gone through the cogwheels of a traditional publishing house. And it is cheesy in places. But you know what?
I really liked Strangeville! Warts and all. It was fun and Mr Tingle tells a good story. I was there. In a town called Strangeville. This is one of those rare books that actually manages to hook me. I felt like I was smack bang in the middle of a story instead of just reading a story. And not many books do that.
You either love or hate books like this and I kind of fell in love with a town called Strangeville.
I want to go there. I'm packing my bags.
4/5
May 29, 2016
Bummer. I loved the idea and was hooked after reading the synopsis but it just wasn't good.
The writing felt juvenile and the plot took the story nowhere. Fast. Seriously
Unfortunately, I can't say much that is not a spoiler. There is one concept that I like, however.
"You can make your own heaven on earth. It truly is the way you choose to see things."
I live my life almost everyday conscience of my happiness and making choices to improve or progress my perception of life. I'm proud of this.
The writing felt juvenile and the plot took the story nowhere. Fast. Seriously
Unfortunately, I can't say much that is not a spoiler. There is one concept that I like, however.
"You can make your own heaven on earth. It truly is the way you choose to see things."
I live my life almost everyday conscience of my happiness and making choices to improve or progress my perception of life. I'm proud of this.
March 26, 2017
A real unique open leads us to a quaint town in the middle of nowhere that time has left behind.
While I have really enjoyed the book, the end was a little to neat. I could really see this story growing, but it felt like it was quickly wrapped and had a bow places on it. I wish the author would have developed the end a little more.
Also, it's never good if the book lists the life lessons at the end. let the reader take what they want from it.
While I have really enjoyed the book, the end was a little to neat. I could really see this story growing, but it felt like it was quickly wrapped and had a bow places on it. I wish the author would have developed the end a little more.
Also, it's never good if the book lists the life lessons at the end. let the reader take what they want from it.
September 29, 2014
Even with the luke warm reviews I've read about this book I thought I would give it a go anyway. An I'm mostly glad I did. It is very easy to read, nothing too complex and I managed to whizz through it while enjoying it.
My main problem with the story was that I cant understand why the author didn't go into more detail about the town and the reasons for it's existence. I think in trying to keep it too light a read he didn't fully take advantage of the storylines that could have been developed.
But on the whole it was a good enough read.
My main problem with the story was that I cant understand why the author didn't go into more detail about the town and the reasons for it's existence. I think in trying to keep it too light a read he didn't fully take advantage of the storylines that could have been developed.
But on the whole it was a good enough read.
July 21, 2017
A very odd, but pleasant read
This story is essentially a wish fulfillment story along the lines of "Brigadoon" but set in America, and obstensibly non-magical. The story does have fantasy elements to it, and is, in large part, a love story. It's a nice, comfortable, non-challenging read.
This story is essentially a wish fulfillment story along the lines of "Brigadoon" but set in America, and obstensibly non-magical. The story does have fantasy elements to it, and is, in large part, a love story. It's a nice, comfortable, non-challenging read.
April 25, 2013
I was strangely captivated and yet disappointed by this book. Still, I might read the sequels :)
February 6, 2019
I'm not sure what attracted me to this book -- but it must have been a good review somewhere. The story started out plausibly --about a man named John Campbell and a failed suicide attempt and then his road trip to visit an aunt. The story kept my interest as John got lost, his car ran out of gas, his cell phone went dead, and so he had to walk through the night to try to find help. What was going to happen?
Before long, John was in the town of Strangeville that seemed to be stuck in the 1950s. The characters in the story had very odd names and all sorts of personalities -- good, bad, odd, etc. But, John soon learned that the powers-that-be in the town were not going to let him leave.
As I continued to read, I was curious in which direction the story would go: Would it be a Twilight Zone-type story? Would it be like Brigadoon -- in which a town "comes alive" once in a blue moon only to disappear again until the next time? Would it be like The Wizard of Oz and we would eventually find out that John had suffered a head injury in a car accident and had dreamed the whole thing? Or would be it something else?
Most of the rest of the story line was interesting enough and plausible within the overall context of the story, the characters, and the town. Most of the town's residents were colorful and interesting and even likable characters, with a love story eventually developing. All the while, there was the suspense of how it was going to turn out.
I won't spoil the end of the book by telling exactly what happens. The plot "wraps up" a little too neatly and quickly, including a surprise appearance by John's parents. The end of the story is simplistic philosophical musings about what constitutes a happy life. I was disappointed by the ending.
Still, the book was a quick read and had enough plot in the beginning to keep it interesting. All in all, I'm not sorry I read it.
Before long, John was in the town of Strangeville that seemed to be stuck in the 1950s. The characters in the story had very odd names and all sorts of personalities -- good, bad, odd, etc. But, John soon learned that the powers-that-be in the town were not going to let him leave.
As I continued to read, I was curious in which direction the story would go: Would it be a Twilight Zone-type story? Would it be like Brigadoon -- in which a town "comes alive" once in a blue moon only to disappear again until the next time? Would it be like The Wizard of Oz and we would eventually find out that John had suffered a head injury in a car accident and had dreamed the whole thing? Or would be it something else?
Most of the rest of the story line was interesting enough and plausible within the overall context of the story, the characters, and the town. Most of the town's residents were colorful and interesting and even likable characters, with a love story eventually developing. All the while, there was the suspense of how it was going to turn out.
I won't spoil the end of the book by telling exactly what happens. The plot "wraps up" a little too neatly and quickly, including a surprise appearance by John's parents. The end of the story is simplistic philosophical musings about what constitutes a happy life. I was disappointed by the ending.
Still, the book was a quick read and had enough plot in the beginning to keep it interesting. All in all, I'm not sorry I read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
November 18, 2025Stick with it, its a fast read
I was intrigued by the premise. Man lost in the woods wanders into his own Brigadoon and winds up in a 1950s era Mayberry, complete with wacky characters. At first, it seemed to drag and the dialogue felt repetitive and pointless. But stick with it--its a fast read and when the plot thickens, the dialogue and devices will blend in seamlessly and make sense. In the end, it's a sweet tale of finding your true path and making your own place in life.
I was intrigued by the premise. Man lost in the woods wanders into his own Brigadoon and winds up in a 1950s era Mayberry, complete with wacky characters. At first, it seemed to drag and the dialogue felt repetitive and pointless. But stick with it--its a fast read and when the plot thickens, the dialogue and devices will blend in seamlessly and make sense. In the end, it's a sweet tale of finding your true path and making your own place in life.
July 12, 2017
I really want my time back. This was probably the worst book of 2017 so far! I only finished it because I hoped that the cheesy, campy, impossibility of it would have some great ending. Nope. One dimensional characters, terrible dialogue, completely implausible plot. The story had so much potential, but it was just written so horribly that I gritted my teeth through the whole thing. I'm glad I got it for free or I'd be REALLY mad. This author is going on the NEVER AGAIN pile.
May 1, 2020
I have to call DNF on this. I keep coming back and trying to finish it, but I'm only 30% after several months and just can't get into it. The description calls this a dark comedy and talked about all of the lovable oddball characters John Campbell meets on his failed suicide trip. Unfortunately, this isn't my style of humor and while the characters he's met so far are odd, I'm not finding any of them lovable. Moving on.
June 18, 2024
Definitely STRANGE!
2.5 rating…it drove me me crazy reading the dialogue from the people of Strangeville. It probably took me twice as long to read the book because of it. But for some reason I had to keep reading. I was definitely intrigued right from the start. I wanted to see how things ended so I kept reading. I didn’t love the ending, but I guess you have to end it somehow. Overall, not a terrible story.
2.5 rating…it drove me me crazy reading the dialogue from the people of Strangeville. It probably took me twice as long to read the book because of it. But for some reason I had to keep reading. I was definitely intrigued right from the start. I wanted to see how things ended so I kept reading. I didn’t love the ending, but I guess you have to end it somehow. Overall, not a terrible story.
April 28, 2018
A very usual story, fitting it's name. A down and out young man,fails at committing suicide. He sets out to visit his long lost aunt in Virginia and gets completely lost. He walks into a town that no one knows about, where everyone lives about 50 years in the past.
A good quick read!
A good quick read!
October 9, 2018
Don’t let anyone steal your happiness.
What a good story. Lessons learned, love found. Good people. This story is different from my norm, but I really enjoyed it.
Would we all go if we could?
What a good story. Lessons learned, love found. Good people. This story is different from my norm, but I really enjoyed it.
Would we all go if we could?
August 5, 2019
It's ok
Not amazing but I really needed to know more about that town. Usually I don't finish books like this but curiosity got the best of me and I have to give the written credit for that.
Not amazing but I really needed to know more about that town. Usually I don't finish books like this but curiosity got the best of me and I have to give the written credit for that.
June 28, 2017
Entertaining, but didn't enjoy the ending after all that.
July 3, 2017
Not what I expected
It took a little time to hit it's stride but once it did I was thoroughly engrossed.
An interesting tale especially with the way life is now.
It took a little time to hit it's stride but once it did I was thoroughly engrossed.
An interesting tale especially with the way life is now.
November 19, 2017
Great book
I like this book a lot, i could not put it down. I want to read more from this author.
I like this book a lot, i could not put it down. I want to read more from this author.
May 13, 2018
Adorable
Life was simpler years ago and this book is the essence of the good life. Loved the East Coast references.
Life was simpler years ago and this book is the essence of the good life. Loved the East Coast references.
November 13, 2018
Loved it
It was a awesome story and I loved all the characters.. I love the conflict and on top of it all there was a love story
It was a awesome story and I loved all the characters.. I love the conflict and on top of it all there was a love story
September 23, 2019
Easy Read
Interesting story and characters. Heartwarming, feel- good book, even though it begins with attempted suicide! It only took two days to read... Recommended.
Interesting story and characters. Heartwarming, feel- good book, even though it begins with attempted suicide! It only took two days to read... Recommended.
April 19, 2020
After chapter 1 felt compelled to read but it just didn’t do it for me. It felt overly simple and just not engaging. Ended up skimming a good portion.
December 28, 2023
Interesting, albeit implausible, story. It would have been much better without the terrible accents!
October 22, 2016
Odd premise, eventually predictable. Writing okay, but not noteworthy.
December 25, 2015
Strangeville
by Kenneth Tingle
I'm very on-the-fence about this book. It was a pleasant enough story, I guess, although I think it went a bit over the mark or the moral aspect. So, here we go. NOTE: spoilers ahead.
The book was very well edited and proofed. The flow of the story was good. The characterizations were okay. There was conflict on multiple levels. There was a final resolution that tied up most loose ends. Because of all of that, and because I didn't totally hate it, I gave it three stars.
However, I didn't really like it. The premise is modern man vs. the stress of modern life, basically. We open with our main character, who was intending to commit suicide but chickened out at the last minute. Then he receives a surprising phone call from his Aunt, who he hasn't seen since his parents were killed when he was young. He's unhappy in his work. He's unhappy in his personal life. In fact, this phone call, and his decision to go visit with his aunt for a week or so is the first positive thing that's happened to him recently. Along the way he has car trouble and wanders the countryside, ending up in a small rural town. The vehicles are all 1950s era; the local TV and radio stations are just that -- all local programming. No other tv or radio reaches the town. The people are all honest, hard-working people who believe in helping out others, but they are completely unaware of modern day life, especially technology. They don't know what a cell phone is, the think "Gone With The Wind" is a new movie, and none of them ever leave the town for anything. It sort of reminded me, in a way, of the 1989 John Travolta movie, "The Experts."
What I was not fond of was the author's overuse of spelling/misspelling in dialogue to represent the town folk as simple, uneducated, and controlled. Just being simple doesn't equate to being dumb, but that was how I felt the inhabitants of Strangeville were depicted. The conflict is, of course, that these people are being controlled by their Mayor and a few of his friends, yet, they don't seem to mind it. They are happy living simple lives that the ruling group provide for them through the sale of coal from the mine that provides the basic source of employment in the area. None of the inhabitants leave the town (which made me wonder about population control, although that subject is never mentioned). The main character struggles with the order he is given to not enlighten the locals with knowledge of the outside world, and with whether he wants to leave the town himself. In the end, he makes the decision to not only keep the secret of technology in the outside areas, but to settle in with people who have become not only his friends, but his family. Nice story? Yes, it does point out that having high stress jobs, modern never-0ut-of-touch technology, and materialistic lifestyles perhaps are not the best way to live a peaceful and meaningful life. However, the general plot seemed maudlin and a bit insulting to the simple way of life. I wasn't sure, after finishing the book, whether the writer believed he was serving up a diatribe against the exhausting and often impersonal modern lifestyle, or if he was telling the story of a guy who couldn't make it in the modern world and needed to step back to a simpler time -- even though that situation was visited on this entire town through lies, deceit, and complete control.
So, some of you will find this modern fairy tale to be charming, I'm sure. Almost a modern day "Brigadoon," without the 1 day every 100 years aspect. I just found it disturbing.
by Kenneth Tingle
I'm very on-the-fence about this book. It was a pleasant enough story, I guess, although I think it went a bit over the mark or the moral aspect. So, here we go. NOTE: spoilers ahead.
The book was very well edited and proofed. The flow of the story was good. The characterizations were okay. There was conflict on multiple levels. There was a final resolution that tied up most loose ends. Because of all of that, and because I didn't totally hate it, I gave it three stars.
However, I didn't really like it. The premise is modern man vs. the stress of modern life, basically. We open with our main character, who was intending to commit suicide but chickened out at the last minute. Then he receives a surprising phone call from his Aunt, who he hasn't seen since his parents were killed when he was young. He's unhappy in his work. He's unhappy in his personal life. In fact, this phone call, and his decision to go visit with his aunt for a week or so is the first positive thing that's happened to him recently. Along the way he has car trouble and wanders the countryside, ending up in a small rural town. The vehicles are all 1950s era; the local TV and radio stations are just that -- all local programming. No other tv or radio reaches the town. The people are all honest, hard-working people who believe in helping out others, but they are completely unaware of modern day life, especially technology. They don't know what a cell phone is, the think "Gone With The Wind" is a new movie, and none of them ever leave the town for anything. It sort of reminded me, in a way, of the 1989 John Travolta movie, "The Experts."
What I was not fond of was the author's overuse of spelling/misspelling in dialogue to represent the town folk as simple, uneducated, and controlled. Just being simple doesn't equate to being dumb, but that was how I felt the inhabitants of Strangeville were depicted. The conflict is, of course, that these people are being controlled by their Mayor and a few of his friends, yet, they don't seem to mind it. They are happy living simple lives that the ruling group provide for them through the sale of coal from the mine that provides the basic source of employment in the area. None of the inhabitants leave the town (which made me wonder about population control, although that subject is never mentioned). The main character struggles with the order he is given to not enlighten the locals with knowledge of the outside world, and with whether he wants to leave the town himself. In the end, he makes the decision to not only keep the secret of technology in the outside areas, but to settle in with people who have become not only his friends, but his family. Nice story? Yes, it does point out that having high stress jobs, modern never-0ut-of-touch technology, and materialistic lifestyles perhaps are not the best way to live a peaceful and meaningful life. However, the general plot seemed maudlin and a bit insulting to the simple way of life. I wasn't sure, after finishing the book, whether the writer believed he was serving up a diatribe against the exhausting and often impersonal modern lifestyle, or if he was telling the story of a guy who couldn't make it in the modern world and needed to step back to a simpler time -- even though that situation was visited on this entire town through lies, deceit, and complete control.
So, some of you will find this modern fairy tale to be charming, I'm sure. Almost a modern day "Brigadoon," without the 1 day every 100 years aspect. I just found it disturbing.
June 21, 2021
Strangevile is a book at war with itself. Written by Kenneth Tingle, the novel wants to be a light-hearted, humorous book about a young man who finds himself lost in a strange town that seems trapped in the 1950s. Think “It's a Wonderful Life.” Yet it also wants to be a satirical, deeply cynical book as well, critiquing contemporary American life. And while there are ways to marry the two halves, the book never manages to reconcile these contrasting wants. Thus, the book tends to feel uneven at times with strong tonal shifts from cynicism to hopefulness, sometimes within the span of a few pages. And this duality affects everything within the story, from the writing of characters to the ending itself. Thus, while the book can be enjoyable at times, I felt conflicted when I was finished reading it.
February 27, 2017
this whole book is full of surprises , it will keep you wondering it is really happening or is it his imagination it is about how one man tried to make his town safe by keeping looked into f the 1950's era is such a road ,there is only one way in or out of the town but most people living there all there living dont even is such a road.
I won this book off of amazon for a truthful review
I won this book off of amazon for a truthful review
December 28, 2014
This book fit its name and was so strange that I still don't really know what to make of it. It starts out very strangely: a guy is on his way to commit suicide but he decides not to do it because he has to poop and he would be embarrassed to be found that way. Then he gets lost and ends up in a town called Strangeville that is stuck in the past.
The Good: It is a rather entertaining read in that is usually a cute little tale that reads easily. The genre is hard to classify because it's supposed to be humorous (but I didn't find most of it very funny) but it's also rather dark and foreboding, almost like a horror or sci-fi book. At some points it gets really interesting and I kept waiting to find out the deep dark secrets of Strangeville. I guess you could say it mainly kept my attention and it was good for a mindless-type read (while pumping or feeding my son in the middle of the night or when a show I'm watching with my hubby gets boring etc.) Even though it was strange and full of what was meant to be dark humor, it was a light read with a pleasant feel and in fact reminded me of the movie "Pleasantville" (and also "Blast from the Past.") I got this book for free from BookBub and it was an okay free read. I give it 2.5 stars for entertainment value and price.
The Bad: There isn't much to the plot and it never really gets anywhere. What is supposed to be a big secret is quite obvious early on. I felt that there was quite a bit of potential but it's almost like the author was laughing at his characters and his readers. He would tease us with something serious but then hold back and act like his book was supposed to be about nothing... which I guess it was.
The Ugly: The whole town speaks in an awful southern dialect and all the characters are stereotypes of stupid Southern hicks. That made it very difficult to keep reading and contributed to my feeling that the author was making fun of everyone and everything, including his own characters and readers. The characters had really horrible stereotypical names like Bob McHicks (that isn't really a character's name, but close) and they did very strange things that aren't believable at all (like putting a chicken carcass in the blender), for no ascertainable reason. And the end is just horrid. I was left wondering why I wasted my time reading it and also why the author wasted his time writing it. I think it needs a lot of editing and plot help but the general idea is still good, and the concept stuck in my mind, so that's why I don't view reading it as a total waste of time.
The Good: It is a rather entertaining read in that is usually a cute little tale that reads easily. The genre is hard to classify because it's supposed to be humorous (but I didn't find most of it very funny) but it's also rather dark and foreboding, almost like a horror or sci-fi book. At some points it gets really interesting and I kept waiting to find out the deep dark secrets of Strangeville. I guess you could say it mainly kept my attention and it was good for a mindless-type read (while pumping or feeding my son in the middle of the night or when a show I'm watching with my hubby gets boring etc.) Even though it was strange and full of what was meant to be dark humor, it was a light read with a pleasant feel and in fact reminded me of the movie "Pleasantville" (and also "Blast from the Past.") I got this book for free from BookBub and it was an okay free read. I give it 2.5 stars for entertainment value and price.
The Bad: There isn't much to the plot and it never really gets anywhere. What is supposed to be a big secret is quite obvious early on. I felt that there was quite a bit of potential but it's almost like the author was laughing at his characters and his readers. He would tease us with something serious but then hold back and act like his book was supposed to be about nothing... which I guess it was.
The Ugly: The whole town speaks in an awful southern dialect and all the characters are stereotypes of stupid Southern hicks. That made it very difficult to keep reading and contributed to my feeling that the author was making fun of everyone and everything, including his own characters and readers. The characters had really horrible stereotypical names like Bob McHicks (that isn't really a character's name, but close) and they did very strange things that aren't believable at all (like putting a chicken carcass in the blender), for no ascertainable reason. And the end is just horrid. I was left wondering why I wasted my time reading it and also why the author wasted his time writing it. I think it needs a lot of editing and plot help but the general idea is still good, and the concept stuck in my mind, so that's why I don't view reading it as a total waste of time.
February 23, 2013
I got this when it was #1 on the Free charts, and being free I figured I'd give it a try. Strangeville was different than the usual books I read, so it's not a big surprise that I found it hard to get it into it in the beginning. The dialect was really hard to get into (I like to get into character while reading), but it soon became like a second language. The serenity of the town is something I long for myself, but I don't think I could go without modern things. The first 40% of the book was the point of 'I could put it down and never pick it back up', but I gave it a second chance and I'm glad I did! The rest of the story was well defined, and I learned to love the characters.
I thought this book started out a lot like Pines by Blake Crouch, but quickly evolved into it's own story. The story takes place in modern times, when a young man who had lost his parents, and his family never cared to reach out to him, goes to kill himself in the woods. Scaring himself by rationality, he heads back home. His aunt calls him out of the blue and decides to take a trip down to see her. Along the way he runs out of gas, and he decides to walk (again by rationally scaring himself). When he finds a fork in the road in the darkness of the night, he decides to take a random one, which turns into a dirt road. Being lost, he ends up falling down a hill and arrives in Strangeville.
He has to deal with a couple of thugs and the mayor of the town, which seems to be the only one in town who realizes it's not the 1950's. Antique 1950's cars restored to perfection, telephone system that only required 5 numbers and many other things really put you in the scenery of the town. The story then turns into of a 'love' story, and he must fight with himself between love and his past life.
Can he give up what he had in the past for a possible future with the mayor's daughter, or will the thugs in town prevent him from being happy and won't let him leave?
I gave this book a 4.0/5.0 based on the length of time it took me to get into the book. If you're interested in buying this book, please support the author by purchasing here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B...
I thought this book started out a lot like Pines by Blake Crouch, but quickly evolved into it's own story. The story takes place in modern times, when a young man who had lost his parents, and his family never cared to reach out to him, goes to kill himself in the woods. Scaring himself by rationality, he heads back home. His aunt calls him out of the blue and decides to take a trip down to see her. Along the way he runs out of gas, and he decides to walk (again by rationally scaring himself). When he finds a fork in the road in the darkness of the night, he decides to take a random one, which turns into a dirt road. Being lost, he ends up falling down a hill and arrives in Strangeville.
He has to deal with a couple of thugs and the mayor of the town, which seems to be the only one in town who realizes it's not the 1950's. Antique 1950's cars restored to perfection, telephone system that only required 5 numbers and many other things really put you in the scenery of the town. The story then turns into of a 'love' story, and he must fight with himself between love and his past life.
Can he give up what he had in the past for a possible future with the mayor's daughter, or will the thugs in town prevent him from being happy and won't let him leave?
I gave this book a 4.0/5.0 based on the length of time it took me to get into the book. If you're interested in buying this book, please support the author by purchasing here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B...
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